to think that the Harry Potter are timeless literature and the films are woefully miscast?

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Inflammatory title to draw you in. I hope. I just fancied some HP chat.

I'm re-watching the films at the moment. Is it me or is there something old-ladyish about Alan Rickman's mouth? I realize I am thinking about this far too hard, and I know it's practically forbidden to speak ill of him on MN. But every time I see those films, I'm disappointed again that he just isn't as sexy as his voice.

I also think the Burrow looks all wrong to me. I love what they do with the reeds in the scene where Bellatrix taunts Harry and he and Ginny run after her. But I imagined the Burrow being rural and farmland-ish, with an overgrown garden around it - not plonked down in the middle of a marsh. Am I right?

What's your favourite bit of the films/books?

Fred and George enraged me. They are my favourite characters, especially Fred. Agree with pp who said they should be sexy - Fred shouting across the common room to Angelina to go to the Yule Ball with him.

Instead of all their witty humour they went for having them speak in unison for the first couple of films. Yes, because that's what twins do

I think the Phelps twins are attractive. And Bill Weasley! (Domhnall Gleeson).

Beetlebum - I think that is what these twins did, in real life, though - so the film makers used that within the films.

LRD - my name is inspired by Harry responding to Scrimgeour that he was 'Dumbledore's man through and through'. I am Dumbledore's girl. Or, would want to be.

I'm not sure I entirely liked what JKR did to Dumbledore in book 7. It's ok to give the character a flaw, but I didn't really like the way it turned all sympathy away from the character.

Ah, I like that. Though I agree about book 7. I liked it myself because I couldn't get that invested in the character once I'd seen the earlier films. But if you liked him, I get that it would be annoying.

nugget - really?! Well, no accounting for tastes.

Dumbledore's woman surely

I love the books and really dislike the films, they just don't do it for me. Info think Luna is perfect though, and the dursleys, even with the age problems. I hate the scene when harry and Hermione dance, wtf is that?!

I think I fancy all the Weasley men. Except Percy!

"but I didn't really like the way it turned all sympathy away from the character."

Agree.

The whole Lily / protection thing is slightly more complicated. It is because she doesn't have to die - Snape has made the deal with Voldemort to spare her life, but she 'chooses' death whilst protecting Harry. James, and every other parent protecting every other murdered child were going to die anyway. Lily could have walked away.

Lads I'm not sure the whole protective power of love thing holds up to much scrutiny. Nor does the elder wand stuff.

I pondered 'Dumbledore's Woman' at the time. It made me sound like his bit on the side (this was before bk 7 and the 'btw, he's gay' announcement - yes, I really have been on MN that long!)

You're not suggesting we might be taking this too seriously, I hope, nuggets?

Ha ha tbh that's what I thought of when I saw your name - hmm she does know he's gay right? even though he isn't

I have to confess, all the Elder Wand stuff and the fact that Harry is a horcrux and Voldemort can't die while he is alive, and the protective love Lily had affecting Harry's blood, etc etc etc, did leave me a bit bamboozled when I first read it, and I am a university graduate. I wonder what children make of it all.

No no, that's my point. I wanted to be Dumbledore's faithful disciple, not his bit of skirt. No sex please, I'm British!

"not his bit of skirt."

Bit of cloak, don't you mean?

I love 'bit of cloak'.

dumbledore - I wonder if children cope more easily with it? Because they're not trying so hard to see the logic?

It honestly didn't bother me when I first read it, because I have an extremely weak capacity to follow plots anyway (I am that annoying person in the cinema who remembers exactly what people said in the love scene but can't figure out who killed whom or why). I think maybe that's more like how you read as a child - you're told something and you accept it so long as the narrative cracks on with enough emotional response from characters to make it feel real.

Oh I know D'Doresgirl I was just saying I thought your name still sounded like that even though that's what you were trying to avoid. But I get it now.

LRD not at all!! Can't be taken too seriously. I just don't think it makes any sense. And I have an actual degree in Harry Potter*

*sort of - wrote my master's dissertation on it.

Proof

Ah my proof didn't work. I did though!

Why did Harry not recognise Snape's handwriting in his Potions book? He'd had 5 years of Snape writing on the blackboard... that always bugged me

I do love Snape. A very complex man, an unfortunate product of his upbringing.

Hmm, blackboard writing may look different? Plus Harry had half convinced himself it was his dad's book.

I want a Master's degree in Harry Potter. I may compromise by burdening my poor undergraduates with lectures about it.

snape - yes, I thought that! Especially since it is such distinctive handwriting in the films. It's much older than Snape is supposed to be. But then, abland could be correct that blackboard writing is hard as that loopy style would be tricky with chalk, and maybe magic takes account of the materials you'd use if you were doing it without magic?